16:10. Edge of winter dark on a very wet day.

This morning it simply rained incessantly early on, and the temperatures have been crazy today, reaching 13C this afternoon.
My sister up in Knaresborough North Yorkshire sent me photos of the snow they had up there first thing. A Waitrose delivery van was stuck outside their house. Their road is rather steep!
A fairly slow morning for me, which included after breakfast listening to a dramatised version of Far From the Madding Crowd on BBCsounds. I had listened to an episode during the night. It was very good, I love Thomas Hardy’s writing, and have read most of his books.
Then a session of Physio exercises. I am so encouraged as they do gradually become easier bit by bit.
After lunch Stephen drove up to our local shopping area so I could go to the hairdresser’s, and he went to the gym whilst I was there. It’s practically next door anyway,
I was greeted by my usual stylist, Amanda, with the words. “I knew you would be in before Christmas! You are doing amazingly well”.
Apparently at my last appointment back on October 11th, not long before we went to Cornwall for a week, and 3 weeks before my operation, as I left I said “I’ll see you all after Christmas.” Never thinking that it would be possible so much sooner!
I really have to pinch myself sometimes at how well I feel.
Stephen came to the salon after the gym then we went to have a coffee in one of the numerous places around there.
Another milestone reached, walking in the shopping area on my crutches for the first time.
It was raining hard as we walked back to the car afterwards.,
We picked up a couple of parcels from a local Co-op which is also an Amazon hub collection point. The beginnings of my Christmas shopping,
I am a Great Aunt to 5 children of various ages from 11 to 2, who live in Skipton, Ilkley, North London and Sydney Australia. Then there are our 4 grandchildren now ages 13 to 5.
I took the photo on the way home from picking up the parcels.
Storm Bert hasn’t really affected us here in our neighbourhood, but the news is grim about various other parts of the country, with fatalities and power cuts and flooding.
I hope those of you Blippers who live in some of these affected areas stay safe and warm